UPDATE: Camp Lejeune fully enforced check causes traffic backup

Published: Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 08:29 AM.

With traffic at a standstill on Wednesday morning across many main routes in
Jacksonville
, some
Onslow
County
schools were forced to accommodate the situation and start classes late.

“The school buses were definitely delayed,” said Suzie Ulbrich, public affairs assistant for
Onslow
County
schools. “They were in the same traffic as everyone else this morning. We didn’t know ahead of time it was going to happen so we couldn’t plan for it.”

“It affected us the same way it affected everyone. Faculty and staff that were traveling that way showed up late.”

For hours, N.C. 24 and its feeder roads were bumper to bumper as
Camp
Lejeune
enforced a 100-percent I.D. card and registration check aboard the base as part of anti-terrorism, force-protection measures. According to
Camp
Lejeune
officials there were no security issues or training incidents that resulted in the slowed travel on N.C. 24.

With traffic at a standstill on Wednesday morning across many main routes in Jacksonville, some OnslowCounty schools were forced to accommodate the situation and start classes late.

“The school buses were definitely delayed,” said Suzie Ulbrich, public affairs assistant for OnslowCounty schools. “They were in the same traffic as everyone else this morning. We didn’t know ahead of time it was going to happen so we couldn’t plan for it.”

“It affected us the same way it affected everyone. Faculty and staff that were traveling that way showed up late.”

For hours, N.C. 24 and its feeder roads were bumper to bumper as CampLejeune enforced a 100-percent I.D. card and registration check aboard the base as part of anti-terrorism, force-protection measures. According to CampLejeune officials there were no security issues or training incidents that resulted in the slowed travel on N.C. 24.

Despite the traffic jam, civilian emergency services say they were not negatively impacted.

“We are prepared for things like this to happen,” said Beth Purcell, the spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Department of Public Safety. “Sometimes we have traffic tie ups or accidents. We are always prepared to respond to events like this. It did not negatively impact our ability to provide our services to the public.”

Only two minor crashes occurred this morning said Purcell.

“The two minor crashes that occurred really says something because the people stuck in traffic followed the traffic laws,” Purcell said. “We appreciate their adherence to traffic regulations.”

Contact Daily News Military Reporter Thomas Brennan at 910-219-8453 or thomas.brennan@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @thomasjbrennan.

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Updated at 10:55 a.m.

Traffic is now clear.

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Updated at 9:39 a.m.

"There was no bomb threat or accident aboard Camp Lejeune," said base public affairs officer Capt. Joshua Smith. "This was the base enacting its force protection procedures. This was a random, fully enforced ID card check to reduce threats aboard the base."

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Traffic is at a virtual standstill on N.C. 24 and its feeder roads this morning.

Major delays have impacted travelers throughout the morning. Unconfirmed reports indicate that a 100-percent ID and registration check at base entrances have led to the delay, which some motorists are reporting has kept them sitting in traffic for hours.